(FiveNation.com)- The Brookings Institution found that in 2020, for the first time since 2008, more voters in large suburban regions voted for Democrats, and the rumor mill has it that Trump wants a female running mate to woo back the suburban women who migrated away from him.
According to Trump confidants, four female contenders match Trump’s checklist for a vice presidential candidate:
– Kari Lake, who Trump praised in her midterm contest and has propounded his claim that he won the 2020 presidential election.
– His former press secretary, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
– South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem
– Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who announced a run for the 2024 GOP nomination in February.
One dark horse, and a potentially intriguing pick not appearing on his short list, is Tulsi Gabbard.
19FortyFive notes that she gained notoriety as a congressman and presidential contender, garnering attention as a prominent Democratic lawmaker and potential Democratic nominee.
Then she became increasingly critical of the Democrats, mostly attacking them for their “woke” social views and neoliberal foreign policy.
Last year, Gabbard’s decision to leave the Democratic Party made a stir, and her regular appearances on Fox News (and speaking engagement at CPAC) have stoked rumors that she may soon be officially joining the Republican Party.
Gabbard’s growing weariness of the left’s wokeness makes her a good fit for Trump, a man who also drifted away from the Democrats.
None of Trump’s potential veeps, save Tulsi Gabbard, have ever been Democrats in Congress. As a result, Trump may be cautious about choosing Gabbard for fear of backlash from conservatives who are likely to remember her previous work.
But, conversely, Gabbard may also have the ability to critique the left with authority, drawing on her experience as a member of the left for almost two decades.
It’s interesting to contemplate.
